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SpaceX to sue US air force for rocket rights

SPACEX wants a bigger piece of the satellite pie. The company says it is filing a lawsuit against the US air force for the right to compete for military launch contracts.

Most of the recent US air force contracts have already been awarded on a sole-source basis to United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is a joint venture between aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin. “We’re protesting and saying these launches should be competed,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a press conference on 25 April.

SpaceX has launched private satellites and NASA cargo on its Falcon 9 rocket. The firm is seeking certification for military launches, which Musk says they could provide cheaply. He also pointed out that ULA’s rockets use Russian parts, which may prove problematic as tensions escalate over the situation in Ukraine.

This article appeared in print under the headline “SpaceX vs air force”